Social and Political

Al-Arabia – Turkish authorities have continued with plans to help Iran silence critics seeking refuge in the country, with assassinations, arrests, and deportations of Iranian opposition figures continuing unabated. Now, at-least five Iranian asylum seekers in Turkey are at the edge of deportation to Iran – with at least one facing execution if he gets handed over to the regime authorities. Among …

Iranwire – On Tuesday the third round of talks on reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ended in Vienna, with the various parties admitting they have a difficult task ahead. Concurrent with the new round of talks, economists have engaged in various debates about the likely impact of the revival of the JCPOA on Iran’s economy. Some compare …

Iranwire – Five people were arrested and sentenced to death over protests that broke out in Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan province, in December 2017. Their situation remains acutely worrying and there are a number of outstanding questions the Islamic Republic is not willing to answer. The judiciary agreed to a “retrial” of the case about four months ago. But no proceedings have been …

CHRI —The situation of dual-nationals and foreign persons taken hostage and imprisoned by the Iranian government has not only remained unchanged, but in certain cases it has deteriorated, despite the new US administration’s approach to Iran and resumption of nuclear talks between the P5+1 and Iran in recent weeks. It is essential that the US and EU prioritize the release …

Al-Monitor – “There is no discussion whatsoever on an interim deal,” declared Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, as Tehran and the remaining members of the Iran nuclear deal were resuming talks in Vienna on how to revive the accord. Araghchi, who was also a senior member of the Iranian team during talks that culminated in the original deal in 2015, …

AL-Monitor – Iranian officials have canceled this year’s Quds Day rallies due to coronavirus concerns. The annual Iranian-led event aimed at opposing Israel was also called off last year. An official from Iran’s Islamic Propagation Coordination Council said on Tuesday that the annual event is not scheduled to take place due to the COVID-19 situation in the country. “Although the …

Al-Arabia – Iran’s minister of intelligence Mahmoud Alavi has tested positive for COVID-19, the Rouydad24 news website reported on Monday. The 66-year-old is reportedly quarantining in his home. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Alavi was appointed minister of Iran’s intelligence ministry after Hassan Rouhani assumed the presidency in 2013. He was …

Al-Arabia – Top Iranian commander Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi was a key figure for the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen and oversaw projects targeting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a former Iranian government official said. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Hejazi, who served as the deputy commander of Iran’s …

VOA – The son of Iran’s last monarch, exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, has for the first time called on Iranians to consider creating an elected monarch position as part of any system that replaces the Islamic republic, while downplaying the prospect that he would serve in such a role.     Iran’s largely exiled opposition groups have long been divided on …

Iranwire – Mahmoud Sadeghi, a reformist political activist and former member of the Iranian parliament, has become the latest to express concerns about low turnout in the upcoming presidential election. In an interview with ILNA on Sunday, Sadeghi said the reformists were determined to nominate a candidate even though polls indicated that “the turnout will be less than 25 percent”. …